Ross Watson made chanters for the R. T. Shepherd company for many years and has now gone out on his own, making chanters that are immediately being picked up by solo players. It’s African blackwood, and designed to pitch between 478 and 484. Chesney, Shepherd and G1 reeds all go well in it.

Ross Watson made chanters for the R. T. Shepherd company for many years and has now gone out on his own, making chanters that were immediately picked up by a leading grade 1 band and are catching on quickly. This version is poly, and designed to pitch between 479 and 484. Chesney, Shepherd and G1 all go well in it. If your band is looking for a chanter at the prevailing competition pitch, this is it.  Comes with a reed in your desired strength.

Like its poly sibling, this blackwood chanter is quickly gaining a following due to its slightly smaller holes and slightly closer spacing. If you find the spacing of standard pipe chanters too much for your wee fingers, this might be the answer for you.  It is bright and sweet, with good volume and a great feel in the hands.  Shepherd reeds like it, as do G1 and Chesney solo The chanter is made by the R. G. Hardie company in Glasgow, a subsidiary of the St. Kilda Holdings Group, who bought the R. G. Hardie and Peter Henderson name some years ago. Unique to the market, each chanter comes with a well constructed board case and a plastic chanter cap provided by the maker, as shown in the picture. Comes with a threaded reedseat and reed in your desired strength. Band discounts are available.

Like its blackwood sibling, this poly chanter is quickly gaining a following due to its slightly smaller holes and slightly closer spacing. If you find the spacing of standard pipe chanters too much for your wee fingers, this might be the answer for you.  It is bright and sweet, with good volume and a great feel in the hands.  Shepherd reeds like it, as do G1 and Chesney solo The chanter is made by the R. G. Hardie company in Glasgow, a subsidiary of the St. Kilda Holdings Group, who bought the R. G. Hardie and Peter Henderson name some years ago. Unique to the market, each chanter comes with a well constructed board case and a plastic chanter cap provided by the maker, as shown in the picture. Comes with a threaded reedseat and reed in your desired strength. Band discounts are available.

Naill chanters have dominated the solo pipe chanter market since the late 1970s, and have won every major solo prize available, often many times over. This chanter pitches at 479 cps or higher. It accepts a wide variety of reeds, though MacPhee, Chesney copper staple, Troy and Shepherd may be the most popular.  Comes with a reed in your desired strength.

The has been the workhorse solo pipe chanter the world over since Naill cornered the solo market in the late 1970s. It has won every major solo prize available, most many times. This chanter pitches at 479 cps or higher. It accepts a wide variety of reeds, though MacPhee, Chesney copper staple, Troy and Shepherd seem to be the most popular.  Comes with a reed in your desired strength.

This popular Naill chanter has a plain Sterling silver band around the bottom. The Naill chanter has been the workhorse solo pipe chanter the world over since Naill cornered the solo market in the late 1970s. It has won every major solo prize available, most many times. This chanter pitches at 479 cps or higher. It accepts a wide variety of reeds, though MacPhee, Chesney copper staple and Shepherd seem to be the most popular.  Comes with a reed in your desired strength.

Bruce has been a leading player for decades and has impeccable musical and tonal credentials. This chanter has been developed in partnership with McCallum Bagpipes and is quickly gaining favour. It pitches around 480 depending on the reed, and Bruce recommends Chesney/Warnock, G1, Sounds Supreme Shepherd, Troy or Colin MacLellan reeds for it.

Bruce has been a leading player for decades and has impeccable musical and tonal credentials. This chanter has been developed in partnership with McCallum Bagpipes and is quickly gaining favour. It pitches around 480 depending on the reed, and Bruce recommends Chesney/Warnock, G1, Sounds Supreme Shepherd, Troy or Colin MacLellan reeds for it.

Roddy MacLeod, former long-time Director of the National Piping Centre in Glasgow, has been renown for his sound for nearly 40 years. This chanter, available in African blackwood only, is a replica of the classic Naill chanter on which Roddy has won all of the world’s significant solo prizes. It is made by David Naill and Company in Somerset, England. It pitches between 477 and 483 depending on the reed, and Roddy recommends Shepherd, MacPhee or Troy reeds in it.

This chanter, in polypenco plastic, has steadily gained in popularity, particularly among soloists, including several at the top levels. It pitches at 478 cps or higher and favours Shepherd or MacPhee reeds. It is bold and vibrant, and exhibits a noticeable blend with well tuned drones. It is made by the R. G. Hardie company in Glasgow, a subsidiary of the St. Kilda Holdings Group, who bought the R. G. Hardie and Peter Henderson name some years ago. Each chanter comes with a plastic chanter cap provided by the maker, as shown in the picture, a threaded reedseat, and a reed in your desired strength. Band discounts are available.

Ceòl (pronounced like a cross between ‘kell’ and ‘kale’) is Gaelic for ‘music’, and if I’m not mistaken, there will be lots of music made on this new offering from McCallum Bagpipes in Kilmarnock. This is a completely new chanter made very much in the Sinclair tradition with tremendous projection and crisp gracenotes. Even the bottom of the chanter is reminiscent of the Sinclair. Pitched at 484 or above, it takes a wide variety of reeds, but perhaps favours the Shepherd. Played by the Toronto Police Grade 1 band in 2018 to great effect, this could be one of the rare chanters that becomes popular among both bands and soloists. Comes with a threaded reedseat and a reed in your desired strength. Band discounts are available.

As the pitch of the bagpipe continues to rise, I hear a growing number of people asking for a lower-pitched chanter, particularly for solo playing. I developed this slightly lower pitched chanter some years ago with Rick Pettigrew at Dunbar Bagpipes. Rick was very patient with my demands. I have played this chanter exclusively for the past three years now with either Troy, Shepherd or MacPhee reeds and have never owned a solo chanter I have been more pleased with. It is comfortable to the fingers, pitches between 472 and 478 depending on the reed (I play at 475-76), and is vibrant with crisp gracenoting. The chanter comes with a threaded reedseat and a reed in your desired strength.

To hear this chanter being played (in blackwood), click on “McIntosh’s Banner” or “Glengarry’s Lament” here .

Band discounts are available.

As the pitch of the bagpipe continues to rise, I hear a growing number of people asking for a lower-pitched chanter, particularly for solo playing. I developed this slightly lower pitched chanter some years ago with Rick Pettigrew at Dunbar Bagpipes. Rick was very patient with my demands. I have played this chanter exclusively for the past three years now with either Troy, Shepherd or MacPhee reeds and have never owned a solo chanter I have been more pleased with. It is comfortable to the fingers, pitches between 472 and 478 depending on the reed (I play at 475-76), and is vibrant with crisp gracenoting. The chanter comes with a threaded reedseat and a reed in your desired strength.

To hear this chanter being played (in blackwood), click on “McIntosh’s Banner” or “Glengarry’s Lament” here .

Band discounts are available.

Known as the “MC-Squared,” this is the McCallum solo pipe chanter developed by leading soloist Willie McCallum with pipemaker Stuart McCallum a few years ago. It has become extremely popular, is played by top soloists worldwide and has won most of the top solo piping prizes in the world. It prefers MacPhee, Chesney Warnock (copper staple), Troy or Shepherd reeds and pitches anywhere from 476 to 482 depending on the reed selected. It comes with a threaded reedseat and a reed in your desired strength.

To hear this chanter being played (in blackwood), click on “Lament for Alasdiar Dearg MacDonnell of Glengarry” or “ Sir James MacDonald of the Isles’ Lament” here .

Band discounts are available.

This is the blackwood version of the “MC-Squared,” the McCallum solo pipe chanter developed by leading soloist Willie McCallum with pipemaker Stuart McCallum a few years ago. It has become extremely popular, is played by top soloists worldwide and has won most of the top piping prizes in the world. It prefers MacPhee, Chesney Warnock (copper staple), Troy or Shepherd reeds and pitches anywhere from 476 to 482 depending on the reed selected.  The chanter comes with a threaded reedseat and a reed in your desired strength.

To hear this chanter being played (in blackwood), click on “Lament for Alasdiar Dearg MacDonnell of Glengarry” or “ Sir James MacDonald of the Isles’ Lament” here .

Band discounts are available.

This is the ‘standard’ McCallum chanter in polypenco plastic. It is one of the most popular chanters in the world, and a winner of many World Pipe Band Championships. It is easy to reed and generally pitches at 480 or above, depending on the reed played. Though played widely by bands, it is also a superb solo chanter and is used by a number of leading soloists. It accepts a wide variety of reeds, though my favourites are John Elliott’s “Sounds Supreme” or Troy. The chanter comes with a threaded reedseat and a reed in your desired strength. Band discounts are available.

Here is the blackwood version of the standard McCallum pipe chanter. This is one of the most popular chanters in the world, and a winner of many World Pipe Band Championships. It is easy to reed and generally pitches at 480 or above. Though played widely by bands, it is also a superb solo chanter and is played by a number of leading soloists. It accepts a wide variety of reeds, including Chesney copper, Chesney solo and G1. The chanter comes with a threaded reedseat and a reed in your desired strentgh. Band discounts are available.

Shepherd chanters have been played at the highest levels since Bob Shepherd won the World Pipe Band Championships two straight years with his Dysart and Dundonald Pipe Band in the mid-1970s. No other active chanter has won more World Pipe Band Championships. But it is also played by leading players as a solo chanter. As you might expect, it prefers the Shepherd pipe chanter reed and generally pitches around 478 or above, depending on the reed selected. Band discounts are available. The chanter comes with a reed in your desired strength.

Shepherd chanters have been played at the highest levels since Bob Shepherd won the World Pipe Band Championships two straight years with his Dysart and Dundonald Pipe Band in the mid-1970s. No other active chanter has won more World Pipe Band Championships. But it is also played by leading players as a solo chanter, particularly this African Blackwood model. As you might expect, it prefers the Shepherd pipe chanter reed and generally pitches around 478 or above, depending on the reed selected. Band discounts are available. The chanter comes with a reed in your desired strength.

This chanter is a fairly recent addition to the market, but it picked up speed quickly and is now winning band contests the world over at all levels. It pitches at 482 or higher, depending on temperature and has great brightness and volume. A number of reed makes suit it, but obviously it plays particularly well with the G1 Platinum reed. Many bands use the Warnock copper-stapled reed. Band discounts are available.

I’ve worked my way through many concert Bb chanters over the years, and this offering from Xavier Boderiou of Britanny in France isthe best I’ve found. Many Bb chanters I’ve tried come in at a pitch higher than 466 cycles per second — some as high as 470-72 — and lifting the reed in the reedseat to hit 466 results in flat top-hand notes. This chanter came in for me right on the 466 mark with a regular Shepherd chanter reed. The sound was balanced, in tune and robust. This chanter was designed around the Shepherd chanter reed — the standard Shepherd reed, not the Bb reed. It comes with a threaded reedseat and a Shepherd reed in your desired strength. Band discounts are available.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, concert-pitch chanters are required if you want to play in tune with concert-pitch instruments since the pitch of the usual pipe chanter is free-floating. In other words, if you want to play Amazing Grace with an organist, you can’t just strike up your band chanter and jam away. Acquire a Bb chanter, make sure the low A sounds at 466 cps, and ask the organist to play in Eb. Note that with a Bb chanter the drone tops will of course tune much higher on the pins.

The Dunbar Elite II is a vastly underrated chanter that harkens back to the pitch of the 1990s. It is crisp, vibrant, has great volume, and pitches between 473 and 478 cps, depending on the reed. I prefer the Chesney Warnock brass-stapled reed in this chanter. Band discounts are available. The chanter comes with a threaded reedseat and a reed in your desired strength.

The Dunbar Elite II is a vastly underrated chanter that harkens back to the pitch of the 1990s. It is crisp, vibrant, has great volume, and pitches between 473 and 478 cps, depending on the reed. I prefer the Chesney Warnock brass-stapled reed in this chanter. Band discounts are available. The chanter comes with a threaded reedseat and a reed in your desired strength.